


The Academy

by Candymind



Series: Flower Power [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, BAMF Haruno Sakura, BAMF Yamanaka Ino, Childhood Friends, Everybody Lives, F/F, Haruno Sakura-centric, Ino-Shika-Cho Formation (Naruto), Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, Language of Flowers, No Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack, No Uchiha Massacre, Pre-Canon, Pre-Genin, The Academy, hanakotoba, mokuton user Yamanaka Ino
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26662642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Candymind/pseuds/Candymind
Summary: Sakura navigates life at the academy with Ino at her side and no boys to get in the way of that.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino, Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka, Namikaze Minato/Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Fugaku/Uchiha Mikoto
Series: Flower Power [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1936174
Comments: 22
Kudos: 239





	1. Blossoming Friendships

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second in a series going over the life of one Haruno Sakura from her birth to her becoming an awesome ninja. She's at the academy now, and only a couple of weeks have passed since the first story. Enjoy!

In spite of wanting to stick to Ino’s side and not to talk to anyone else, Sakura ends up being dragged around the playground on her first day at the academy as Ino introduces her to everyone and gives out an endless supply of flowers. If Sakura wasn’t absolutely confident that she would never be abandoned for someone else by the other girl, maybe the whole thing would be making her jealous. But as it stands, she’s just mildly irritated at having to share Ino with other people.

“Hi! I’m Ino and this is Sakura,” Ino proclaims, introducing them to a sullen boy with black hair. They’ve reached the end of the playground with people sitting alone who Ino doesn’t already know from playing in the park.

The other kids remind Sakura of herself before Ino came up to her with that flower. She doesn’t like that other people are feeling that exclusion.

So, before the boy can reply, Sakura speaks, “You can play with us if you’d like - beats sitting here.”

He looks up at them with a frown on his face as if her words aren’t making sense. “I’m Uchiha Sasuke, and I don’t need pity. My brother’s the only friend I need and you’re not even ninjas yet so why should I play with you?” he asks, trying to dismiss them.

It doesn’t deter Sakura though, because she thinks he’s just afraid that they’re bullies and wants them gone.

“Well, you’re not a ninja yet either, so maybe we can help each other train to become the best shinobi ever!” she fires back, grabbing hold of Ino’s hand for reassurance that her friend will back her up on this.

True to form, Ino tilts her head and sizes the Uchiha up. “As long as you take training seriously, you can join us after school in the park,” she challenges, handing the glowering boy a bright yellow narcissus and tugging Sakura’s hand to walk away.

Watching from the window in his classroom, Iruka smiles and shakes his head at the interaction. He hopes Sasuke can see beyond his precious older brother to the offer of friendship right before him. Otherwise his changes to the seating plan (courtesy of a couple of nudges from the Hokage) are going to be awkward to say the least.

Sakura and Ino continue on their little quest to find lonely people over the rest of lunch, but Sasuke is the only one completely alone. The Hokage’s son, Naruto, is constantly running about after an Inuzuka kid and his puppy, laughing all the time. Ino tries to make a case for giving him a flower, but Sakura persuades her that it’s probably best to wait until after lunch when they won’t have to chase him around for ages. 

When lunch ends, they drop off a small sunflower to Naruto and settle into their seats. To their surprise, and Sakura’s annoyance, Sasuke gets moved to sit next to them, and Naruto to just behind them. 

“Thanks for the sunflower Ino! It’s so bright and sunny!” proclaims Naruto as soon as he takes his new seat. 

“Glad you like it,” smiles Ino knowingly.

Sakura doesn’t think she’s ever given someone a flower they didn’t like unless it’s been on purpose to communicate some distasteful message. 

“Sasuke! Sasuke!” Naruto turns to the other boy. “Did you get a flower too?”

He leans over Sasuke’s shoulder and peers down to see if the boy has anything on his desk. To Naruto’s delight, the boy has a bright yellow flower in full view.

Ino is slightly surprised he’s kept the flower, considering the message she was sending with it. 

“It’s yellow like mine! We’ve got to be friends now! This must be fate!” Naruto yells, not noticing Iruka walking back into the classroom and the sudden hush falling over the room.

“What’s this about friends?” the teacher asks, “I’m going to regret putting you lot together if you’re always this loud. Nobody wants detentions on their first day…” 

“I’ll be quiet Teach I swear!” Naruto promises, causing Ino and Sakura to burst into muffled giggles.

Iruka fixes the group with a firm look. “We’ve got an important lesson so I’d appreciate your full attention.”

And with that, he launches into an explanation of the formation of Konoha - a story full of ninjas and demons just like Sakura’s dad used to tell her before bed. When Uchiha Madara gets mentioned, Sasuke straightens up a little, hanging on every word. Ino just leans on Sakura and closes her eyes, pretending not to pay attention to the history lesson. 

* * *

  
  


At the end of the day, Naruto follows them to the park, dragging Sasuke along too.

“This is ridiculous you idiot,” murmurs Sasuke, struggling half-heartedly to get rid of Naruto’s grip on his arm. 

“If we’re going to be the best ninja ever, we have to train!” grins Naruto, narrowing his eyes at the other five year old as though challenging him to say he’s wrong.

Sasuke does his level best at delivering a death glare, which really just looks like a pout to Naruto, before caving in and resuming the walk to the park. 

“But I’m leaving as soon as my brother arrives,” he tosses at Naruto as a final defense. 

“Yes! This is going to be so much fun - believe it!” Naruto jumps in the air, punching his fist up high and vibrating with energy.

Sasuke feels as if he’s looking into the sun, and decides to keep walking before Naruto tries to hug him or something. 

By the time they reach the park, Sakura and Ino are nowhere to be seen. Searching for any kind of bright hair, the boys run about to check under bushes and round corners. But after half an hour of getting nowhere, the two sit under a large oak tree to catch their breath and talk strategy.

“Do you think they’re still here?” Naruto asks, a furrow in his brow.

Sasuke tilts his head to one side and strokes his chin in the way his brother does when he’s thinking really hard. “Hn. They said they’d meet us here…” 

“They’ll be here then!” declares Naruto.

The two continue discussing a search plan, completely oblivious to the two girls sitting high up in the tree above them. 

Ino has to keep covering Sakura’s mouth to stop her laughter from giving them away.

“This is way too easy,” she smirks at Ino, recovering from a fit of giggles.

“When do we tell them?” inquires Ino, peering through the branches at the two boys.

“You can let them sweat a bit more,” suggests a voice from behind them.

Shrieking, the girls turn to see a ninja with hair as black as Sasuke’s standing a couple of branches away. 

“Who- who are you?” stammers Ino, defensively holding a pink rose she’d been saving for Sakura out in front of her and stepping in front of Sakura.

“Oh, sorry for not introducing myself first,” the ninja smiles and bows slightly, “I’m Uchiha Itachi - the older brother of your new friend Sasuke.”

A little nervously, Ino lowers the rose. 

“That’s a beautiful flower you have there miss…”

“Yamanaka. Yamanaka Ino,” she supplies, nudging Sakura to introduce herself too with the same slight bow Itachi had given them.

“Haruno Sakura.” 

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you both. My brother seems like he’s in safe hands for now - tell him to make sure he makes it back in time for tea and pass on my apologies to Uzumaki that I don’t have time to properly introduce myself,” the Uchiha says with a grace the girls had never seen before. Then, in the blink of an eye, he disappears from the branch leaving two stunned academy students in his wake.

“Where did he go!” exclaims Sakura, peering out in every direction.

“I don’t know, but I think he should teach his younger brother some lessons on manners,” grumbles Ino.

Sakura sighs and takes a seat on the branch once more. “One day, Ino, I’m going to be able to disappear in the blink of an eye just like that. I’ll be so fast that they’ll call me the Pink Flash and I’ll be able to deliver all of the orders from your shop before the customers get home!”

“And when you’re done being utterly amazing, I’ll make us dinner like dad does for mum after she’s spent all day with the plants,” Ino replies, shyly handing over the pink rose.

Beaming at the suggestion, Sakura leans forwards and envelopes Ino in the biggest hug she can. Except, she ends up using too much force and suddenly there’s no longer a branch beneath them and the ground is rushing up and she can hear screaming from beneath her and Sakura holds on tight to Ino in the hope that she can protect her be landing first-

But the ground’s not hard at all. It scratches and feels like she’s still stuck in a tree. 

No longer falling, Sakura opens her eyes to see if Ino is okay. There are bright pink cherry blossoms even though there’s never been a cherry tree here. But Ino is limp in Sakura’s arms and she doesn’t move when she yells her name.

“Ino!” Sakura cries, trying to wake Ino up. She’s got grazes on her exposed arms and legs in the same way Sakura has, but that doesn’t explain why she’s sleeping.

“Ino?” Sakura tries again, softer this time.

And she gets a reply in a flutter of pale eyelashes.

“Ino…” Sakura holds her close and tries not to cry because she’s going to be the toughest ninja and she needs to get Ino help so she can’t just sit here crying. “I’m going to get us out of this, I promise,” she says, holding on tight to Ino’s hand before turning away to look for help.

Heart racing, her eyes scan through the dense cherry blossoms for any sign of Naruto and Sasuke. She knows it’ll be easiest for them to go and fetch a ninja from the hospital, or call in a rooftop patrol from the police. Luckily, it doesn’t take her long to spot the two only a couple of meters away trying to fight their way through the tree to reach her.

“Naruto!” she yells, hoping his hearing is as good as his yelling.

“Sakura! I’m coming for you don’t worry!” he yells back, waving his hands wildly in her direction. 

Taking a deep breath, Sakura replies, “Ino’s hurt! You’ve got to find help from one of the patrols - we need the hospital because she won’t-”

Her voice cuts off before she can finish her sentence, not wanting to admit that Ino won’t wake up properly and there’s not anything she can do other than yell instructions at Naruto to get them out alive. What feels even worse is the fact that Ino had saved her - had saved them - from the fall.

Sakura doesn’t know much about making trees full of flowers grow to catch falling people, but she knows that if anyone can do something like that then it has to be Ino. It has to be Ino because she always has flowers to spare and she’s kind and gentle enough for nature to want to save her.

“-on’t worry!” Naruto finishes yelling back a reply. Sakura tunes back into reality and wants to kick herself for not listening.

“Naruto! We need a medic soon!” she shouts, trying not to panic as she looks back at Ino and sees how shallow her breathing is becoming.

“I’ve got you Sakura - I can see Sasuke heading back with some large scary dudes who look like they should be able get you out,” Naruto replies in what almost sounds like a comforting voice.

“Thank the Great Shinobi…” murmurs Sakura, looking up at the tangle of blossoms trapping them in and clutching tightly onto Ino’s cold fingers. “We’re going to be okay Ino, just like I told you,” she smiles, finally letting a tear slip free and run down her cheek.


	2. Playground gossip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ino gets better and Sakura makes friends whilst she's without her other half.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update this! Uni work hit me like a truck so I don't know how often this is gonna be updated, but rest assured I haven't forgotten about ma favorite gals. Enjoy the chapter!

To say that Minato’s surprised to be called out to inspect a possible user of the mokuton is an understatement. It seems that just as he’d hoped things would smooth over, things are going to get more complicated. Of course, he’s really excited about the Yamanka heir having an ancient power which suits the girl who always has a flower hidden on her person so well. The Hokage just isn’t looking forward to everything the elders have to say about the situation.

So he loops an arm around Kushina and stares at the new cherry tree, wanting to see if his wife has any ideas about how to handle the situation. 

“If you’re going to ask me for advice on how to handle the politics of this, then I’m worried,” she laughs before he can get the words out to ask her.

Minato sighs and picks up a fallen petal, inspecting the light pink detail with which it was created only a couple of days ago.

The colour reminds him of someone - a young girl with bright pink hair.

“The blossom matches Haruno’s hair perfectly,” he mutters in disbelief. 

A small cough from behind him makes Minato straighten up, dropping the petal. 

Hound is standing to attention a couple of meters from the couple, obviously waiting to say something from the way he stands a little straighter than usual.

Kushina nods at him to speak.

“Considering the amount of time Yamanaka spends with Haruno, there’s a possibility that one triggered the other’s dormant mokuton. The likelihood is even stronger considering your son’s report that they were falling out of a tree together when she activated the power,” he reports.

“So you’re saying that the fact that her friend was in danger may have pushed Yamanaka to act?” Minato nods his head, mind racing. “I suppose it might be similar to the sharingan activation…”

“Does this mean I get to make a celebratory meal for both of the girls?” Kushina asks, lights gleaming in her eyes. “Naruto has been begging to have his new friends when Inniochi’s daughter’s all cleared up from her chakra exhaustion!” she explains, turning her puppy eyes onto her husband.

Minato lasts for all of five seconds before he gives in, agreeing to help cook and take the evening off work to arrange everything.

“Something tells me it’ll be best to keep those kids close,” he laughs, sending a significant look over to Kakashi, who nods and disappears into the treeline to trail a certain pink-haired ninja.

Later, when Kushina tells Naruto they’ll be able to have his friends over in a week or so, he does a little victory dance.

“Really! Sakura and Ino are going to come for tea? And Sasuke too!” he yells, sprinting about the flat.

At the last name, Minato’s smile turns victorious. 

“Of course, don’t you know your mum is best friends with Sasuke’s?” he tells a beaming Naruto.

Naruto stares at his mum with his mouth open in surprise. 

“Best friends?” he shrieks, “Well just you wait, Sasuke and I are going to be the bestest friends ever and spend all of our time pulling pranks and eating ramen and-” 

Kushina swoops down and picks Naruto up, spinning him round as he yells to be put down.

“Best friends…” Minato mutters, watching the scene with a faint smile traced across his face. 

He knows that with these two by his side, he doesn’t have to worry so much about the messy politics. Somehow friendship always seems stronger than anything else when it comes to governing Konoha.

* * *

Sakura spends all the time she’s allowed to spend with Ino, watching the colour slowly make its way back into her face. Everyday, she brings a different flower because if she doesn’t bring any then there aren’t any plants in the room, and Ino loves plants. Ino loves plants so much that Sakura’s pretty sure she’s never seen Ino without a green leaf in her pocket or a petal tucked behind her ear. 

But she’s not the only person who comes to see Ino - there’s an almost constant trail of guests. When Sakura had asked why so many people want to see her best friend, Mebuki had just smiled and said that Ino has lots of precious people who want her to get better. 

At the academy, lessons aren’t as fun without Ino by her side. Sasuke and Naruto try their best to cheer her up though, and after a couple of days Sakura rewards them with a shy smile and invites them to visit the hospital with her. 

“Really!” Naruto exclaims, throwing his arms up in the air with excitement.

“Stop looking excited about someone being in the hospital - idiot,” rebuffs Sasuke, scowling at the confused looking Naruto.

“But Sakura knows I’m excited to see-”

“It’ll be nice to have company if you can both make it,” Sakura smiles threateningly at the two boys, stopping the budding argument in its tracks.

Nodding his head, Sasuke elbows Naruto to keep him quiet and packs up his lunchbox. 

“We’d both love to come with you Sakura. Hopefully it won’t be long before Ino is out of the hospital,” finishes Sasuke, not noticing how their conversation had caught the attention of their other classmates.

“You’re off to visit Ino?” Choji asks, sidling up to them with a pack of crisps in his hands and making Sasuke jump.

Shikamaru, standing idly behind Choji, snorts as Sasuke tries to pretend he had noticed them coming all along. “We’re going too after school today - you can tell us what happened to her as nobody is telling us anything about what happened and it’s a pain to be left in the dark by adults,” he says with his eyes closed, not looking at any of them. 

“And why would we walk with people who are so rude they won’t look in our faces when speaking to us and tell them all about how awesome Ino was when she-” challenges Naruto, crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura steps in by elbowing her friend and speaking over him. “We’d love to walk with some of Ino’s friends to the hospital, wouldn’t we Sasuke?”

Sasuke grunts in affirmation and Sakura grins.

“We’ll see you in the playground after school then,” Sakura grins at her group of boys and decisively snaps her lunch box shut, walking back to the classroom.

Standing at the doorway to the building, Iruka watches the whole thing unfold, happy that Sakura isn’t isolated with Ino away in the hospital. He frowns a little at her though when she turns away from the group and stomps up to the door.

“Lunch isn’t over for another couple of minutes yet so you can stay out in the sun,” he reminds her, peering over at the group of boys to try and work out why Sakura had left so abruptly.

“I’ve had enough of boys - can I go and wait for class inside please?” she declares.

Iruka flashes the hand sign for laughter behind his back, knowing Kakashi would be able to see everything happening from his position in the big tree. 

“Of course Sakura, just remember to turn that tone when you’re speaking to them unless you’re looking for a fight with most of the clans in Konoha,” he warns, opening the door to let her skip through.

Glancing back over his shoulder, he sees the group of boys looking like lost puppies staring after Sakura. Iruka shakes his head, hoping Ino recovers soon to knock some sense into his class of clueless ninja.

* * *

A week later, with chakra coils completely recovered and an endless supply of flowers in hand, Ino waltzes out of the hospital hand in hand with Sakura. The girl with pink hair grips on tighter than ever to Ino’s hand as though scared of her fingers never being able to touch the other girl again. But there’s a fierce grin on her face as she holds her head high to show off the iris tucked into the ribbon in her hair. Ino is sporting a matching one in the front pocket of her purple dress.

Together, closely watched by Mebuki and Inoichi, they make their way across town to Naruto’s house for dinner. He’d stopped by the hospital earlier in the day yelling about them coming round to celebrate Ino getting out of hospital when he’d heard about her finally passing the various checks to see if she was fit to leave in the morning. Sakura can’t help but wonder what Naruto’s parents are like as they walk through the streets. Of course, she knows he’s the Hokage’s son, and that the Hokage knows how to take a prank with good humour, but she’s never met his mother.

Come to think of it, the only member of Sasuke’s family she’s met is his older brother, and that was right before falling out of the tree…

_ Hopefully not all meetings with her friends’ family members will lead to near death experiences _ .

Ino squeezes her hand, and just like that Sakura finds herself standing in front of an ordinary house on an ordinary street about to eat dinner with the Hokage’s family and her best friends. Mebuki raises a fist and knocks three times in quick succession on the door, before moving to stand behind the two girls. 

A woman with the most beautiful red hair Sakura’s ever seen opens the door, grinning wildly with a ladle in hand. “Welcome!” she exclaims with her arms out as if to hug them all.

Suddenly, Sakura understands where Naruto gets his volume control from.

“Thank you so much for inviting us for tea, it’s an honour to be here,” Inoichi says, bowing deeply.

“No need for bowing! It’s great to have people round and what Ino did deserves plenty of celebration no matter what the village elders are muttering in their caves, ya know!” Kushina replies, waving the ladle about in the doorway.

Sakura looks at Ino and grins, knowing that dinner in the Uzumaki household is going to be great.

Bounding up behind his mum, Naruto appears with wild hair and bright eyes. “You came!” he yells, sliding around Kushina to swallow them in a hug.

“Nice to know you missed me,” Ino smirks, tucking a loose strand of hair back behind her ear.

“Of course I did ya know!” Naruto beams back at them, completely unaware of anything outside his energetic bubble of happiness. 

Sakura can’t help but get caught up in the sheer amount of good energy radiating from her friend. Giggling, she tugs Ino’s hand to enter the house as the parents begin to talk in the same tone her aunt does when clan politics are mentioned. Naruto bounces in behind them, unable to stand still for even a moment.

“This is going to be so fun!” he cheers, doing a little victory dance as they take their shoes off. “Normally I can’t have any friends round because of stupid things but this time I’ve got you two and the idiot Sasuke and all of our parents - even though they’ll probably be boring and talk about grown-up stuff I don’t understand. Maybe Kakashi will turn up too!” 

Sakura thinks she might just go deaf if Naruto continues speaking at this volume all night. She turns to look at Ino who resolutely nods her head.

_ Time to employ the silencing flower technique _ .

Ino reaches deeply into her pocket and pulls out a perfect, miniature sunflower to hand to Naruto, who falls silent in awe. 

“Thank you for inviting us - it’s gonna be great!” Ino says, placing the flower in Naruto’s hand.

Sakura still doesn’t know how Ino always manages to have the perfect flowers for every occasion in her pockets. Maybe one day, she’ll have to see if Ino has secret pockets that are extra deep. Considering how she managed to grow a cherry tree out of nothing, it wouldn’t surprise Sakura if Ino simply grows the right flower when her hand is hidden by her clothes.

“Th-thank you for the flower Ino!” Naruto stammers, not noticing Sasuke sneak through the open door and silently walk up behind him.

“Good to see you’re looking well Ino,” he says in a monotone voice, making Naruto jump a foot in the air.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to sneak up on people ya know!” Naruto shrieks.

Sharing a look of exasperation with Ino, Sakura sighs. 

Maybe being deafened by Naruto won’t be so bad if Ino’s by her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope ya liked it :). For those that like flower meanings :  
> Iris- good news, glad tidings, loyalty  
> Sunflower- respect, radiance, passionate love
> 
> I love these kids, and I'm glad ya'll like me writing about them. Thank you for all of the kudos and comments, you guys are amazing!


	3. Ninja

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last few years pass quickly with her friends at her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I skimmed over her time in the academy a bit, and don't tell anyone but I was just very excited writing about Sakura grow up. Enjoy!

Ino has to spend time in private lessons when she’s well enough to start classes again. Not all day, of course, but enough of the day to make Sakura pout. Or at least, to make her pout until Ino shows up with a smile on her face and her latest plant in her hands. 

Try as she might, Sakura finds herself unable to do anything but smile when Ino is around, talking about all of the plants she can make grow out of her tiny hands. Sakura thinks that it’s beautiful - being able to bring life into creation like that. Sakura thinks the power Ino has is perfect for her, because Ino is every bit as beautiful as creation. 

“Does everyone get a special power when they become a ninja?” Sakura finds herself asking her mum as they’re walking home from the academy one day. She’s only got a couple of years until graduation and she’s dying to know what will happen when they give out the forehead protectors. 

Mebuki raises a questioning eyebrow at her daughter, “A special power?” she asks.

“Like how Ino can make trees grow and Naruto’s father can get places real fast. Do I get a power like that when I graduate?” Sakura swings her school bag about, pretending to fight enemies.

“Some people are born with those things - like Ino. She’s always had her power buried deep inside. If academy students have anything like that then they tend to find out in their first battle,” Mebuki begins, trying to think up a simple way to explain how some powers come from bloodlines with bloody histories, and others through years of hard work.

“But is everyone born with those things?” Sakura asks, looking up at her mother with her big, adorable green eyes.

Mebuki wishes that her daughter wasn’t so clever. Maybe then she wouldn’t always ask the questions which are impossible to answer. Maybe then she wouldn’t want to become a ninja. But that doesn’t mean Mebuki doesn’t take a fierce pride in her daughter’s intelligence. It doesn’t mean that Sakura won’t get an answer to all of the questions she asks.

“Not everyone, no. I don’t have any special powers that I was born with - most people from clans get their powers that way,” she explains.

Sakura’s mouth drops open. “But mum!” she exclaims, eyes wide. “You’re so strong and I’ve seen you run up buildings!”

Chuckling, Mebuki picks her little ninja up. “Well, the key to those powers is just spending enough time practicing them - like how anyone can be good at throwing shuriken if they spend plenty of time at target practice,’ she finishes, pulling Sakura so that she’s sitting on her shoulders.

“I’m going to do so much practice and get all of the powers - just wait!” Sakura cheers.

“I’m sure you will - want to head to the clan training field after dinner?”

* * *

Part of Mebuki really wishes she hadn’t told Sakura that the key to being a powerful ninja is practice, because now it’s all her little girl wants to do. Gone are the days of baking together and dropping Sakura off to spend the day in the clan bakery. Of course, Sakura still has to attend her lessons in manners and civilian clan politics with her cousin, but Mebuki suspects that Sakura sees them as practice for something ninja related too - probably to see how many pranks she can pull before the hour is up. 

“How long until she’s unleashed on the world?” asks Mio.

They’re watching the lesson finish up, with the poor elderly relative in charge of teaching the two youngest clan members trying desperately to maintain some kind of order. Sakura is bent over double in fits of giggles, holding onto Minoru to keep her from rolling off her cushion onto the floor. Littered all over the floor are thousands of sprinkles shaped in the Haruno crest which look identical to the ones they use in the bakery when celebrating someone retiring from official clan duties.

“She’s got six months until graduation now, funny to think how only the other day I was worrying about letting her start the academy.”

Sighing, Mio shakes her head.

“It only feels like yesterday when she was small enough to pick up and remove her before any trouble began.”

“But somehow it’s been twelve years and now she’s almost ready to go out there on real missions.”

Mebuki smirks, “Oh I don’t know about real missions for a couple of years at least; they tend to make all the young genin chase cats around the village for a couple of months before letting them out of sight.”

In the room, Sakura finally manages to take a breath of air without collapsing into giggles again. She catches sight of the adults in the doorway and pulls a face at them, not quite noticing the wistful looks on their faces.

* * *

In her last week at the academy, Sakura has a plan to pull off a new prank on Iruka every day. Of course, she’s enlisted Naruto’s help and informed a few choice members of the class of ways they could make this week the best week  _ ever _ . Shikamaru had raised an eyebrow, but given in after Ino had nudged him, whilst Choji had only needed a bag of crisps to persuade him into helping them. Sasuke had pulled a face, claiming that it was unbecoming for a member of such an important clan to take part in something as lowly as a prank. Or at least, that’s what he’d said until everyone had given him a  _ look _ , and after that he’d been very agreeable.

Sakura walks into class with a spring in her step because this is going to be the  _ best  _ week of her life and at the end of it  _ she’s going to be a ninja _ .

_ Life couldn’t get much better _ .

* * *

Iruka sighs. It’d been a long week. A long week of pulling confetti out of his hair and trying to stuff knowledge into heads which were far more fixed on the next prank than he’d like them to be. 

“Tough week at the office?” murmurs a voice from just behind him.

Smiling, Iruka turns round. Even after the toughest weeks, he can’t stop himself from smiling at the sight of Kakashi cooking dinner. He can’t stop himself from smiling most of the time he’s looking at Kakashi, so long as the man hasn’t managed to get himself horrifically wounded on a mission again. But that hasn’t happened recently. It hasn’t happened in the years he’s been told to keep an eye on certain members of the students in Iruka’s graduating class.

“You probably know all about it. Didn’t feel like warning me that keeping a close eye on Sakura wouldn’t be enough to stop myself getting soaked in pondweed today?” he asks, eyeing up his husband suspiciously.

“I thought you handled the situation just fine without any outside help, dear,” Kakashi answers back, one eye closed in a smirk.

Iruka wants to smash his head into his palm because  _ of course _ Kakashi finds it funny. He’d probably find it funny too if his clothes didn’t stink of pond now.

But in the end it doesn’t matter. In the end it doesn’t matter because all of his kids had passed the exam today. They’d passed the exam and tomorrow he’s going to hand them off to various jounin for them to flourish and become the newest generation of ninja. 

“Did you choose to mentor her on purpose? Just so that she can continue to prank me?” Iruka asks, wrapping his husband in a hug, ignoring Kakashi’s shiver at the smell of the pond still clinging to his clothes. “Because I just feel like I should warn you that between her, Sasuke and Naruto, you’re going to go grey within a matter of weeks,” he chuckles, running a hand through Kakashi’s already messy hair.

Turning back to his cooking, Kakashi leans back into Iruka. “Let me assure you that putting those three together for my team only happened at the personal insistence of our  _ wise  _ hokage,” he complains, flipping the aubergine in the saucepan.

* * *

All decked out in her favourite red kimono with a yellow poppy from Ino pinned in pride of place, Sakura walks up to the presentation podium with a solemn smile. After all, it’s a serious event and she’s serious about being a ninja -  _ about being taken seriously as a ninja _ . From her high pass mark in the exam, anyone would be foolish not to take note of her name - to take note of how serious a ninja she’s bound to become. With her friends and family at her back, Sakura feels like she belongs on the stage. Her heart blooms inside her chest and threatens to beat out of her chest as her steps draw to a stop by the hokage.

Minato looks different in his ceremonial cape. Sakura is used to seeing him in pink aprons and with flowers tucked behind an ear. But here, he stands as tall and proud as a lion who knows they’re the top predator.

The sight of him standing a foot away, ready to give her a forehead protector, causes her breath to catch. 

_ Because that’s who she wants to become _ .

She wants to be powerful enough to stand there with everyone cheering, knowing that she could protect them all without getting out of breath. Maybe if she were that powerful, her mother wouldn’t have to abandon her every month in search of empty footprints. Maybe if she becomes that powerful, she’ll also have the knowledge to figure out what happened that stopped her father from coming home.

“Haruno Sakura, it is an honour to welcome you to the ranks of our great shinobi. By taking this forehead protector, it becomes your duty to carry the will of fire for as long as the symbol of Konoha shines bright,” the fourth Hokage declares, voice carrying out to the gathered crowd. 

As he speaks, Sakura bows low in the way she’d been practicing with her mother, holding out her hands for the cold armour to be placed into. When the fabric brushes against her palms, her fingers clench tight around it and her arms move as if on their own to tie it around her head.

When she looks back up, Minato’s eyes crinkle in a smile. 

“I look forward to seeing the ninja you become, Sakura,” he whispers across at her.

Sakura nods, eyes threatening to spill over with tears that come from nowhere to drown out any words she can say.

_ Because she made it. _

_ Haruno Sakura is officially a ninja. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who want to know, yellow poppies are a symbol of success in hanakotoba :). Sorry about the wait again! Life is just very busy sometimes ya know. But I love writing this. Also, from here on in I'm going to try and salvage some kind of canon story line. Or at least, as canon as possible with everything I've changed so far. But the main focus is and always will be Sakura cos she's awesome and I love giving powerful ladies the spotlight they deserve. See you soon for the next portion of Sakura's story!

**Author's Note:**

> Yes. Yes I have given Ino the mokuton. She's perfect for it and Sakura thinks it's the coolest (Once Ino gets better of course).  
> For anyone interested in the meanings of the flowers in this chapter -  
> Narcissus- self-esteem  
> Sunflower- radiance  
> Pink rose- Trust/Happiness/Confidence  
> Cherry blossom- Kind/Gentle/Transience of Life
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Let know what ya'll think in the comments :)


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